


Danny Copper

by allislaughter



Series: Copper Wires [8]
Category: The LEGO Movie (2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-27
Updated: 2014-08-20
Packaged: 2018-02-10 15:38:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2030583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allislaughter/pseuds/allislaughter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Now that GCBC finally found out about Benny's history, it's only fair that Benny learns a bit about GCBC's.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Going to the Country

_"Just ask him,"_ Good Cop urged.

_"You ask him,"_ Bad Cop insisted in return.

_"It was your idea."_

_"Doesn't mean I_ want _to do it."_

_"You know, it wouldn't hurt you to do this for once,"_ Good Cop pointed out, his tone noticeably annoyed.

Bad Cop cringed. _"But doing_ that? _With_ him? _Why can't you ask him?"_

_"Oh, fine, you big baby."_

"You okay?" Benny asked, poking him in the side. "You don't look like you're paying attention to the TV show."

Good Cop nodded and grinned at him. "Don't worry, Benny. I'm okay. Bad Cop has something to ask you, though."

"Traitor," Bad Cop hissed under his breath.

Benny lifted his brow stoically. "Yeah…?"

Bad Cop let out a sharp breath and then focused on Benny. "Look, would you like to…"

"Yes?"

"To go…"

Benny watched him, waiting patiently for him to finish.

He took a deep breath and finished the question as fast as he could "Go meet my parents in the country?"

"Oh!" Benny's face brightened and he nodded. "Yeah, I'd love to! You really had me worried there. I thought you'd ask…" He shook his head. "Penny's been making weird suggestions again, but whatever."

Bad Cop ignored Good Cop's laughter in the back of his mind and he slipped his hand under his glasses. "I don't even want to know."

"When will we be going to see them?" Benny asked.

"I was thinking next weekend," Good Cop offered.

"So soon?" Benny shrugged. "Sure, why not? For how long?"

"About the same time we were at the astronaut reunion last month," Good Cop said. "Give or take a few days, but we'll see."

"Sounds fun!" He hummed a bit, glancing at the TV before looking at Good Cop again. "Wait, is this a special occasion or something like that? Should I be prepared for something?"

"No," Good Cop answered, laughing. Bad Cop tapped the armrest nervously. "I just figured it'd be... Nice for you to meet them eventually…"

That weekend, they made the long trip to the country, with Benny singing along to 80s songs again and trying to get Bad Cop to sing too. Bad Cop grumbled and halfheartedly sang along, ignoring Benny's annoyed look and insistence that he could do better. Eventually, Benny grew preoccupied with the change of scenery, watching as farmland stretched around. He gasped and pointed out the window.

"Cows!" he laughed.

"Yeah, that's a thing they have here," Bad Cop mumbled.

Sometime later, they pulled into a small town, up to a quaint little house on the edge, and as soon as the keys were pulled from the ignition, Good Cop was out of the car and walking to the front door. An older pair of police officers stepped out to greet him and Good Cop hugged them both.

"Hello Mummy, hello Daddy," Good Cop greeted, planting a kiss on his mom's cheek.

"Good to see you, son," Pa Cop said, reaching up to pat Good Cop on top of his helmet fondly.

Benny stepped out of the car and waved, and Ma and Pa Cop waved back at him.

"Who's your friend?" Ma Cop asked Good Cop, smiling warmly at him.

"My name's Benny," he answered, beaming at them. "I'm a spaceman."

"Nice to meet you," Ma Cop said, pulling Benny into a hug as well. "It's good that Danny's brought home a friend for once."

Benny looked over at Good Cop and squinted. "Danny?"

Bad Cop cleared his throat. "Uh… Mummy, Daddy, why don't you take Benny inside while I get our things."

"Sure thing, son," Pa Cop nodded, leading the way inside

"Danny…?" Benny repeated, scrunching up his face as he was led through the door. As his voice faded, Bad Cop could hear him add "That's such a cute name!"

Bad Cop sighed and went to grab their bags from the trunk again, taking as long as possible. _"I'm going to regret this, aren't I?"_ he asked his other self.

_"Maybe,"_ Good Cop answered. _"But maybe not. I'm sure he and our parents will love each other."_

_"That's not what I'm worried about,"_ Bad Cop thought, scowling as he closed the trunk.

_"Then what…?"_ Good Cop trailed off while Bad Cop stared at the ground. _"Oh…"_ Good Cop hesitated. _"You want to tell him, don't you?"_

_"Are you okay with that?"_ Bad Cop asked.

_"I am. Are you…?"_

_"I was hoping you could tell him it… You know more about it anyway. It was my fault after all."_

Good Cop sighed and shook his head. "It wasn't your fault… But I'll tell him anyway. Just tell me when."

Bad Cop nodded and brought the bags inside. He found his dad and Benny seated at the kitchen table while Ma Cop poured iced tea. Good Cop set down the things and helped pass out the glasses while Ma Cop got a tin of cookies.

"So how did you two meet?" Pa Cop asked Benny.

Benny grinned but glanced nervously across the table at Good Cop for help. Good Cop looked just as awkward and glanced at the ceiling while sipping his tea. "Uh…" Benny shrugged. "I don't know…" he lied. "I have a bad memory."

"At your age?" Ma Cop asked, setting down the cookie tin before sitting down as well.

"I'm… I'm sixty."

"Shoot, son," Pa Cop answered, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. "That's my age. What do they feed you space boys?"

Benny shrugged and smiled instead of answering. "I bet you guys get a great view of the stars at night," he said. "I would have set up my home somewhere out here, but most of my friends live in the city."

"There's a better view out in the field outside of town," Bad Cop answered quickly. "I can show you tonight."

_"Tonight?"_ Good Cop asked. _"Then, right?"_

_"Yes…"_

"Sounds great," Benny answered.

"How long will you boys be staying for?" Ma Cop asked. "You're welcome to stay as long as you want." She reached over and pinched Bad Cop's cheek. "You really should visit more often."

Good Cop smiled her. "Bad Cop's actually the one who decided to come visit this time. We'll be staying for a few days or so."

Pa Cop reached for a handful of cookies, but dropped a good number of them when Ma Cop smacked his hand. He bit into a cookie and glanced at Benny and Good Cop. "So… Are you two dating?"

Benny choked on his tea, and he left the glass and drink floating in the air as he turned to the side to clear his airway. Good Cop smiled sheepishly and shook his head.

"No, Daddy, we aren't dating," he told him.

"There's nothing wrong if you are," Pa Cop assured him.

Benny sat up again and shook his head. "No, dating's _weird_. I don't think I'd date anyone."

"Isn't that what your other self said, Danny?" Ma Cop asked Good Cop.

Bad Cop frowned. "I'm… Too busy with my work to date anyone, Mummy."

"And when you're not busy, you're watching cop dramas or training to go into space with me," Benny added grinning. He glanced at the glass still floating in the air and pulled it down, only for the liquid to remain in place. "Oh, uh… Do you have a straw?"

Ma Cop giggled and got up to get him one and Pa Cop reached over to poke the tea.

"You space boys really are something," Pa Cop mused. "Were you one of the ones on the moon missions, then?"

"Yeah, apparently," Benny nodded. He thanked Ma Cop for the straw and then turned the glass over and swiped it down the floating tea, doing his best to get every drop. He carefully turned the glass upright again and then used the straw to suck up the remaining drops before setting the straw in the glass. He glanced at the others and chuckled nervously. "It's very delicious tea."

Ma Cop giggled and rested her hand on his shoulder. "Well, I'm glad you're enjoying it, Benny."

Good Cop grinned and grabbed a cookie. _"It's going well so far, at least,"_ he thought as he bit into the snack.

_"It better stay that way…"_ Bad Cop replied. _"And don't eat too many cookies."_

_"We're visiting our parents. Certainly this once…"_

_"No."_

He turned his head down to hide his rolling eyes and finished off the cookie before grabbing another.


	2. High School Freshman

Bad Cop wiped the paint from his hands, letting out a breath before tossing the towel aside. "Anything else you want me to do, Daddy?"

"Not today," Pa Cop answered. "It's getting late. Good job repainting that wall, son."

"Is Mummy still entertaining Benny?" Good Cop asked.

Pa Cop took in a sharp breath. "You better get in there. She pulled out the baby pictures a little while ago."

Bad Cop flinched and hurried in. "Darn, darn, darn…!"

"And watch your language!" Pa Cop called.

Bad Cop found Benny seated next to Ma Cop, and he noted that the spaceman seemed to be trying his best not to float as she folded the photo album in their laps. "Mummy…"

Ma Cop glanced up and frowned at him. "Danny, you have paint all over you. Clean that up and then come back here."

He sighed and nodded. "Yes, Mummy…" He trudged into the nearby bathroom, leaving the door open by a crack to listen to the conversation as he washed off the paint.

"And here he is on his first day of high school…"

"He still doesn't have his glasses, huh?"

"Oh, he got them that year. I'm not surprised his vision started to go bad then. That's about the same time Pa and I got our first glasses."

Bad Cop frowned and dried himself off and then hurried back into the living room. "Mummy…"

"Much better, Danny," Ma Cop told him. "Sit and join us. We just got to your high school days."

"Uh… Actually…" Bad Cop glanced at Benny and then back to his mother's expecting gaze. Good Cop grinned at them. "I think Bad Cop wanted to get going so we can see the stars."

"Just the two of you?" Ma Cop asked.

Good Cop nearly lost his smile but nodded at her.

She nodded back and closed the photo album. "Well, let me know when to show him the rest of these photos, alright son?"

_"She knows,"_ Bad Cop told his other self.

_"Quiet,"_ Good Cop told him. "Alright, Mummy. Benny, ready to go?"

"Totally!" Benny answered, jumping to his feet.

A few minutes later, they were on their way out of town, Bad Cop driving silently as Benny listed all of the constellations they should be able to see at that time of year.

"Dude, did you bring a jacket or something?" Benny frowned at him. "It'll get cold."

"In the back," Bad Cop answered.

"What about blankets? Y'know, to sit on."

"Have those too."

"Do you have some weird ulterior motive?"

Bad Cop slammed on the breaks, and Benny choked on the seatbelt stopping him from flying forward. "We're here."

"Dude!" Benny glared at him and unbuckled, stepping out of the car and looking up at the darkening sky. He let out his breath and laughed, glancing over at Bad Cop as he pulled a blanket out of the backseat. "Okay, man, I forgive you. This looks _awesome._ "

Bad Cop didn't answer and instead threw the blanket over the top of the car. "Get up here, spaceman."

Benny grabbed the top of the car and pulled himself up with ease, though Bad Cop had more trouble getting up next to him due to that pesky gravity. Benny held out his hand to help him out, which Good Cop gratefully took. Once they were both seated, Benny pointed out some of the stars, planets, and constellations as they came into view.

"And that one over there reminds me that I still want to know if you have an ulterior motive," Benny finished, turning to grin at Good Cop. "You do, don't you? This whole trip. What's up?"

Good Cop stared at the sky, at the moon, and stayed silent. _"I don't know if I can do it…"_

_"One of us has to, and it won't be me,"_ Bad Cop answered. _"You know that."_

"You're right," Good Cop sighed. He turned towards Benny and did his best to smile. "I have… Well… I suppose… I have a story to tell you…"

"A story?" Benny frowned and moved closer to him. "One of _those_ stories, huh…? Look, just because you know about _me_ doesn't me you have to…"

"But I want to," Good Cop interrupted. "I should. Someone should know. See, it starts when I first started high school."

"Ughhhh," Benny groaned. "I'm going to hear about your awkward puberty stage, aren't I?"

Bad Cop scowled. "Benny, this is serious. Didn't you ask before how… How I and the other guy happened?"

Benny nodded. "Well… Okay… Sorry, I'll listen."

Good Cop smiled and wrapped an arm over Benny's shoulder. "Well, it started in my first year of high school…"

* * *

 

 "Danny Copper?"

"Here!" Danny answered, raising his hand. He lowered it as the teacher nodded and then leaned over, reaching into his backpack to pull out his notebook and a pencil. He glanced through the notes for the lesson from the day before as the teacher finished calling roll.

He jotted down notes on the lesson as the class continued, occasionally raising his hand to ask questions or to answer ones the teacher posed. When the bell rang and the teacher released the class, he packed up and then stood.

"Teacher's pet," someone whispered behind him.

"Hmm?" He looked up confused, but the person ignored him as if they didn't hear. He shrugged and hurried out the door to the bus, eager to get home.

One high school for many of the farms, villages, and towns in the area left long bus trips for some of the students, his own trip being a full hour. He dropped into his seat and started on his homework, a decent way to occupy his time and lessen the work he had to do at home.

He felt his seat jostle and glanced to the side to see the student sitting across from him using his seat as a foot rest. "Please don't do that," he told them with a smile. "Rules say you need to keep the aisle clear."

The student frowned and pulled their legs back to their own side. "Man, you _are_ a goody-two shoes. What, would you get your parents to arrest me if I didn't move?"

He blinked and shook his head. "No, of course not. What sense does that make?"

The student ignored him, and he decided to let it go and focus on his work again.

_"What was that formula to solve this problem?"_ he thought to himself. _"It's on the previous page,"_ he answered his own question, _"You need to memorize it for the test next week."_

He nodded and flipped to the previous page, reading over the formula before returning to the question. He picked up his pencil with his left hand and began to solve the problem, frowning when his answer wasn't one of the choices.

_"No, look, you put that number in the wrong place,"_ he thought, flipping back to the formula. _"See?"_ He hummed softly and went back to redo the problem, his thoughts jarring as a wad of paper hit the back of his head. He looked over the back of the seat but didn't see anyone who could have thrown it.

_"It was just an accident,"_ he decided, dropping the paper into his bag to keep from littering. _"Or some jerk threw it at you on purpose,"_ he thought back. He frowned and stared at the seat in front of him thinking over it.

Danny shrugged his shoulders and went back to his homework, the rest of the bus ride going on without incident. The walk home from the bus stop would be short enough, but also give him enough privacy to focus his thoughts.

_"You can't just assume people are out to get me,"_ he told himself. _"They're already calling you names,"_ he thought in return. He sighed and rolled his eyes. _"Well I'm glad my imaginary friend is looking out for me, but it makes me look paranoid. IF, you really should relax sometime."_

IF mentally sighed, and Danny could imagine him frowning at him. _"Does it ever embarrass you to have an imaginary friend at your age?"_

Danny shook his head softly. _"No, of course not. We started talking this year, and I haven't gotten rid of you. You're good company, since no one else seems to want to talk to me at school now."_

_"Yeah, what is with that?"_ IF asked. _"Last year you at least had friends. Why are they picking on you now?"_

Danny frowned and turned down his street. _"They aren't picking on me…"_

_"What else would you call it?"_

He didn't answer and instead let himself into his home, looking around to see neither of his parents home yet.

_"Danny, you can't let them do that,"_ IF told him. _"If you keep acting weak like this…"_

"Please be quiet," Danny whispered. "I just don't want to get anyone in trouble over something silly. They aren't all bad, it's just two or three people."

_"Two or three people too many,"_ IF answered.

Danny stayed silent again and then set down his bag to do chores.

That evening, Danny grabbed a second cookie that evening at dessert, ignoring IF telling him to "put it back, you already ate cookies at school today" and listening to his parents tell him about their day helping the populace. At some point during their careers, the area came to know the two of them as Ma and Pa Cop, given how the parent police officers were just as motherly and fatherly with others as they were with their own son. Danny had it in his mind for some time that he'd grow up to be a good cop like they were, and so he loved to hear about their day, each evening's tale entertaining even without the busy amount of arrests and hard crimes that one of the big cities would have.

"And how was your day today, son?" Pa Cop asked, ruffling Danny's hair fondly.

"It was okay," Danny answered with a smile.

_"It was not,"_ IF insisted. _"You need to tell them about the bullying."_

_"I'm sure it'll stop on its own if I ignore it,"_ Danny answered. _"No need to worry them needlessly."_

_"It will not and you know it. Don't be stupid and tell them what's going on."_

Danny ignored IF and simply enjoyed the rest of the evening with his parents before getting ready for bed that night.

_"Teeth brushed?"_ IF asked.

_"Yes,"_ Danny answered. _"Homework for tomorrow finished?"_

_"All on time and double checked for errors."_

He nodded and got into bed, reaching up to turn out the lamp. _"Good night, IF."_

_"Good night..."_


	3. Red and Blue

The next few weeks continued similar to that day, with the one change being that the bullying continued and in some ways worsened. It was always the same two people, IF pointed out, and Danny could hear them grouping together to talk behind his back only to pretend they hadn't said anything when he turned around to look at them. He didn't understand what they had against him, but he sat in class one day, thinking it over with IF instead of paying attention to the lesson.

_"They haven't done anything…_ Too _bad…"_ Danny pointed out.

_"Only called you names and thrown paper at you and talked about you behind your back and said unkind things about Mummy and Daddy,"_ IF answered.

_"When are you going to do something about it?"_ Danny sighed.

There was a skip in the response before IF asked, _"Aren't I the imaginary friend…? Shouldn't you do something about it?"_

Danny's pen slipped from his hand. _"Oh…"_ He reached down to pick it up, inhaling deeply. _"That's right…"_

_"Don't be weird about this, weird-o…"_ IF answered as if he were hiding his apprehension as well. _"I'm imaginary after all…"_

_"Right,"_ Danny agreed, packing up quickly as the bell rang and the teacher let the class go, _"Of course. I didn't forget…"_

The next few days had more of the same, between the bullying, the conversations with IF instead of focusing on class work despite IF insisting they should pay attention, and similar slip-ups like that where one or both of them referred to IF as something real, or his own person. He noticed himself getting lower grades on papers and quizzes, but Danny wasn't sure what was getting to him more: the bullying, IF, or the fact that everything slowly became blurrier.

Danny slid the paper back and forth across his desk as he changed the hand and pen color he wrote in, not really focusing on his actions or the class around him until he saw a shadow over his paper and looked up at the teacher.

"Danny, are you passing notes in class?" she asked, almost astounded.

He flinched and glanced down at his paper before looking up at the teacher again. "Not… Entirely…?"

The teacher frowned at him and held out her hand for Danny to hand over the note. Danny cringed as he gave over the paper and kept his eyes shut as the teacher read the note aloud to the eager students around him.

"Blue says: 'I can't see the board that well.' Red says: 'Ask for a closer seat, stupid.' Blue: 'Is that a g or a 9?' Red: 'I think that's a D.' Blue: 'Maybe we need glasses.' Uh…" The teacher paused and brought the paper closer to her face as Danny peeked at her through the fingers covering his eyes. "Uh… Red says: 'I'll ask Mummy and Daddy later.' Blue: 'Don't you mean I will?' Red: 'Darn, right, you were supposed to write that.' Wow, um, Danny…?"

"Y-Yes…?" he asked, slowly lowering his hands.

"Which… Which one were you…?"

Danny glanced down at the pen by his left hand. "Blue…?"

"And… And who was red…?"

He then looked at the pen on the right side of this desk. "Also me…? They were… Were both me…"

The teacher took in a breath and folded up the sheet of paper, setting it on her desk. "See me after class."

The other students "oooh"ed obnoxiously, and IF glared at them, scowling- Danny shook his head and dropped it into his hands, unsure what was going on.

When the bell rang, Danny packed up but stayed where he was as the other students left, ignoring as one of the bullies bumped into his desk as they walked out. As soon as the classroom was empty, the teacher sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Danny…" she started. "Please tell me that you have an imaginary friend that you were talking too."

He quickly nodded. "Yes, of course… I call him IF. He was red."

"Good, I was worried," the teacher sighed in relief.

He frowned, furrowing his brow in concern. "Worried about what…?" he asked too quietly for the teacher to hear.

"All the same, aren't you a little old for an imaginary friend?" she questioned next.

Danny winced and shrugged. "It's not a problem, is it?" he asked nervously.

"I suppose not," the teacher admitted. "It does show creativity. But you should stop writing notes to yourself in class. Also, I'll move you to the front row until you get your vision checked." She walked to the board and pointed to a letter on it. "Is that the letter you couldn't see?"

"Yes?" Danny answered, unsure.

"It's a ch."

"Oh…" He squinted, trying to see it better but gave up after a moment.

"Well…" the teacher sighed. "You better get to your bus now. But really, you'll need to stop talking to… 'IF' so much and focus more in class."

"Right, okay," Danny answered, grabbing his bag as he stood up. "Sorry…" He rushed out of the class, hurrying to the bus and making it on just in time. He smiled apologetically at the driver and then sank into his seat, clutching his bag against his chest tightly as he watched the scenery roll past his window, trying not to think for the hour trip back home.

Another wad of paper hit him in the head sometime into the trip and he groaned, shoving it into his backpack and not bothering to look at the person he knew threw it.

"Hey," the person across the aisle taunted, "Hey Danny."

Danny groaned and looked over at them, flinching as he saw both of his bullies sitting in his area that time. "Y-Yes…?" he stammered.

The one from his class leaned closer to him. "So Danny. Are you crazy?"

He wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "No, why would I be?"

"Anyone who talks to himself like that is crazy," they continued. "What do they call it? A split personality? Next thing we know, you're going to snap and kill everyone."

_"Don't listen to them,"_ IF ordered. _"They don't know what they're talking about."_

Danny curled up and looked away. "I wouldn't hurt anyone…" he mumbled.

"You wouldn't," they answered. "That other person would though."

_"I would not,"_ IF growled in his mind. _"This person's an idiot."_

Danny frowned at them and shook his head. "It's just an imaginary friend. I'm not crazy."

"What are you, six?" the other bully asked. "So either you're psycho or you're a little baby."

"I think he's psycho," the first bully laughed. "Look how Mr. Sunshine started scowling."

He shook his head to stop IF from scowling and then looked up as the bus finally pulled up to his stop. "I have to go," he said, hurrying away.

"Don't snap over the weekend, psycho," one of the bullies muttered, he didn't care which.

He practically ran home, thankful for once that he came home to a lonely house, and he ran for his room, locking the door behind him and going up to the mirror.

"What the heck was that?" IF scowled in the reflection. "They're obviously getting worse! Are you still not going to tell anyone?"

The reflection changed to a pained look and Danny groaned. "What do I say? I'd have to tell them about you, and they might actually believe we're crazy. We're not crazy, are we?"

IF shook his head. "No, I don't think we are."

Danny frowned, leaning close to his reflection for a better look, almost fogging up the mirror with his breath. "You're not an imaginary friend, are you?" he mumbled.

"I'm not your consciousness either," IF mumbled in return, leaning his forehead against the glass. "We really are two people?"

Danny pulled away from the mirror and sunk down onto his bed. "I don't want to have to tell Mummy and Daddy."

IF rolled his eyes but lay down staring up at the blurry ceiling. "You have to. About the bullying and about us. Don't be stupid, you _know_ that's what's best."

Sighing, Danny pulled the blanket over him and curled up. "You're mean sometimes. You're like the Bad Cop or something."

"Then you can be Good Cop," IF mumbled, closing his eyes.

"Sleep well, Bad," Danny whispered with a wry smile. IF didn't answer and they both fell asleep.

* * *

"That must have been weird," Benny said, laughing nervously. "H-Hearing Bad Cop with a kiddy voice. I-I mean, what kind of…"

Bad Cop frowned at him. "Are you… Crying?"

"NO," Benny insisted. "N-Not completely! I mean- They called you crazy! Why would they call you crazy?!"

Good Cop flinched and pulled Benny into a hug. "There, there, Benny, it's okay…"

"No, it's not!" Benny argued. "That kind of thing just makes me so mad! I mean, what the heck is wrong with people, calling others crazy just because they think differently?!"

Bad Cop pursed his lips and let go of Benny to lower himself off the roof of the car. "It's late. We should head back."

Benny took a deep breath and nodded, floating off the car and hurrying back into the passenger seat. Once Bad Cop folded the blanket and tossed it into the back again, he buckled up and drove the car back to his parents’ house.

Along the way, he glanced over at Benny, seeing him brooding, and sighed. "You actually have heard what some of the other Master Builders said about you, haven't you? Kenny said you didn't, but..."

Benny just stared out the window, quiet for a long time before whispering "Yes."

Bad Cop sighed and looked straight ahead. "Well, neither of us are. So you'll have to live with being a sane person."

They were both silent after that until Benny started giggling and shaking his head at him.

"You're a great person," Benny told him. "Both of you."

"Thank you!" Good Cop answered, turning to smile at him.

"Eyes on the road if you're going to come out and drive," Bad Cop ordered, turning to face front again.

"Sorry!" Good Cop chimed.


	4. Telling the Parents

"That's my old school," Good Cop pointed out as they passed by the next day. "The high school I was telling you about."

"That didn't take an hour to drive here," Benny frowned. "You told me it was an hour drive."

"On the _bus,_ " Bad Cop corrected. "We had a bunch of stops on the way."

"Ohhh, okay." Benny nodded and looked around. "So where's that park you said we're going to? That was really nice of your parents to pack us a picnic lunch, by the way."

"Let them know that later," Good Cop told him. "And the park should be around the corner… There it is!"

They pulled into the park and got out of the car, with Benny carrying the picnic basket and Bad Cop grabbing a tablecloth. They set up the lunch at one of the tables. As Benny munched on a sandwich, he watched Bad Cop closely, swallowing before speaking.

"So, I know you're not crazy…" Benny started. "But what _are_ you then? I still don't get how you two happened."

Bad Cop picked up a grape, frowning, and then shrugged. "Well you know Dissociative Identity Disorder?"

"Uh…"

"...Multiple Personality Disorder before they changed the name?"

"Oh, right!" Benny nodded. "So that's _not_ you, right?"

"Right," Bad Cop answered. "I don't have the symptoms involved in that, not as they're actually defined, and me having two faces obviously means it's not a mental disorder. The best I could describe it as is… Well, you have your Space Logic that makes no sense, and I have 'Persona Logic' I guess."

Benny frowned and crossed his arms, leaving his sandwich floating in the air. "My Space Logic makes total sense because it's like I'm in space so there." He stuck out his tongue and grabbed his sandwich again, taking a bite before talking with his mouth full. "How does your Persona Logic work?"

Good Cop chuckled. "I made an imaginary friend and then made him into a real person…" He frowned then and shrugged. "Besides that, I'm really not sure. I'm sure there are other people like me, but I never cared enough to look into it."

"Fair enough," Benny agreed. They ate their food silently for a while before Benny spoke up again. "But you're not done with your story, right? There's more to it that you haven't told me yet?"

 _"Bad Cop?"_ Good Cop thought. _"Can it be your turn to tell the story?"_

Sighing, Bad Cop nodded. "Alright… Here's what happened that day, after we woke up…"

* * *

He woke up to a soft knocking at his door and a voice calling his name.

"Danny?" Ma Cop called. "Are you in there?"

"Yes, Mummy," he yawned, sitting up.

"Are you feeling alright?" she asked softly.

Good frowned. "No…" he answered.

"Are you sick…?"

He hesitated. "No," he answered again.

 _"You have to tell them,"_ Bad reminded. _"They don't know about me yet."_

Good nodded and stood up. "Mummy? May I talk to you and Daddy about something?"

"Of course, Danny," Ma Cop said. "We'll be in the living room when you're ready."

"I'll be right down," he answered. He waited to hear her footsteps fade off and then looked at the mirror at his face. Bad did the same and sighed. "We have different faces," he muttered. Good shook his head. "No, no, you just frown more. That doesn't mean…"

Bad scowled and grabbed the red pen from his bag, leaning close to the mirror and making a small mark on his cheek. Good looked at his face, noticing that the mark was gone.

"We're not crazy," Good frowned. "We're just… What are we?"

"Human," Bad answered. "Maybe one of those weird humans with powers that have been popping up on the news lately, but still…"

Good sighed and nodded. "Alright… I'll go talk to them now…"

He left the safety of his room for the living room, gulping at the sight of his parents waiting patiently for him. He sank into the spot in between them and glanced from one to the other. "Mummy, Daddy… I don't know how to tell you…"

"We got a call from your teacher," Pa Cop told him. "You need glasses?"

Ma Cop turned Good's face toward her and look into his eyes. "You're about the same age when Pa and I got our glasses. That's nothing to be worried about."

"That's not the only thing…" Good frowned. "Did my teacher tell you I was writing a note to myself in class?"

"To yourself?" Pa Cop asked. "Son, writing a memo isn't anything bad…"

He shook his head. "No, no, it wasn't like that. I was writing it to…"

Bad winced and mumbled as he curled in on himself. "To me. He was writing it to me."

Both of his parents jumped and he felt his mother's arms holding him. "Son…?" she asked.

Bad nodded and looked up at her. "I'm… I'm Bad." Good smiled nervously and shrugged. "And I'm Good…?"

"Your face changed!" she observed, gasping. "Danny, how did…?"

Pa Cop turned him towards him and frowned. "Do the face change thing for me."

Good nodded and Bad switched in, holding his breath as he waited for a response.

"Shoot, son!" Pa Cop said, his eyes widening. "Or… Sons? Ma, we have two children in one!"

"Pa!" Ma Cop scolded. She pulled Bad against her, holding him close. "Oh, Danny, how did this happen?"

Bad cringed and pulled away gently. "I'm not sure…" he admitted. Good shook his head, and hugged his mother for comfort. "It started as me talking to myself…"

"Lots of people do that," Pa Cop pointed out.

Good nodded. "But then I made half of the conversation into an imaginary friend. That was earlier this year… And then today…" Bad sat up again and stared at his hands. "Then today I came out… But we have a journal of our notes to each other recently, so maybe I actually came out earlier?"

"How did you figure this out?" Ma Cop asked.

"Because…" Good switched in and sighed. "The teacher read the note we were writing out loud today, and we realized what we were doing." Bad frowned. "No, that's not true." Good shook his head. "No, no, it's not important…" Bad scowled. "You have to tell them eventually." Good smiled sheepishly. "But it's not that big a deal…"

"Wow." Pa Cop whistled and ruffled his son's hair. "That's really something, you two. But what are you trying to say, err… Bad, was it?"

Bad frowned. "Good is being bullied at school. Two of the students keep calling him names and today they called him crazy and said I'd…" He trailed off and stared at the ground.

 _"Not as easy when it's about you, huh?"_ Good asked him.

 _"Shut up,"_ Bad answered.

_"Bad!"_

_"Sorry…"_

"You're being bullied?" Ma Cop frowned and cupped Good's cheeks. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I thought they'd stop on their own," Good sighed. "But now if they find out about Bad it'll get worse…"

"We'll see what we can do about that later," Pa Cop answered, gripping his shoulder comfortingly. "But first, we should get you… Both of you maybe… Get you an eye appointment."

"If we get you two different glasses, we'll be able to tell you apart easier," Ma Cop added. "That would be nice."

"Thank you, Mummy, Daddy," Bad answered before Good hugged them both. "You're the best parents," Good told them.

"Of course, son," Pa Cop answered, smiling fondly. "Did you think we'd kick you out for being two different people or something?" He laughed but soon trailed off at his wife's glare and Good's sheepish look. "Oh, son, no, we'd never do that."

"We'll love you no matter what," Ma Cop affirmed. "Both of you. Now, let's have dinner. I don't have to feed you twice, do I…?"

"I don't think so," Good answered, following his parents to the dining room. "But we'll find out," Bad finished.


	5. Bully Problems

The next Monday, Good did his best to adjust to his glasses while his parents brought him to school that day to talk to the principal about the bullying. Good gave the names of the two students and listed what they had been doing, and the principal promised to alert the teachers and be on the lookout for it, but they couldn't do much until they caught the two in the act. Though disappointing, Ma and Pa Cop knew that was the best they could get, and so they each kissed Good's cheek before leaving him for the day to deal with school, new glasses, and bully problems on his own.

_"I can't come out,"_ Bad told him. _"Mummy and Daddy didn't mention me, so no one knows about me."_

_"I was hoping they wouldn't,"_ Good replied. _"They're understanding, but I'm not sure about anyone else…"_

_"Do you think it'll get annoying having another person in your mind at all times?"_ Bad asked.

_"It might be fun!"_ Good answered, looking around at the other students who arrived early that day. _"We'll have so much in common this way, and we can have someone to talk to about anything. Like that person over there. I think they're cute."_

Bad mentally groaned. _"We are NOT doing this, Good."_

_"Why not? What about that person?"_

_"No."_

_"That one?"_

_"Good, stop."_

Good sighed and pouted. "Fine, spoilsport," he muttered under his breath.

"Danny?" His last period teacher approached him, nodding approvingly. "I see you got glasses after all. Just don't forget to actually pay attention in class, okay? I talked to your other teachers, and your grades have been dropping in all of them."

"I'll do my best," Good chimed, grinning at her. Once she left, Good walked off to go wait closer to his first class. _"Alright, Bad,"_ he told him, _"We'll have to talk less during classes… Of course if you want to give me any answers to questions."_

_"And you call_ me _Bad,"_ Bad retorted. _"I'm not helping you cheat."_

_"We're the same person. How is it cheating?"_

_"Good!"_

_"Oh, fine…"_ Good rolled his eyes and turned down the hallway for his first class, stopping short when he saw his two bullies hanging out by a locker there. Before he had time to escape, one noticed him and alerted the other.

"Danny!" they called, stalking up to him.

"Nice glasses, nerd," one said, elbowing him in the side. "Did you pick them out or your split personality?"

"Please stop," Good said, trying his best to smile. "That isn't very nice to say."

"Still trying to be the good guy, huh?" the second bully observed, rolling their eyes. "You're so pathetic."

"Why do you two even do this?" Good frowned. "Do you just pick on me, or are there other people too?"

"Pick on you?" the first asked, sounding shocked. "I have no clue what you're talking about."

Good shook his head. "Well, could you leave me alone, then? The rest of the buses should be unloading now, so class will start soon."

"Oh, can you see that well now?" the second bully asked. "Those must be good glasses then. Let me see." Before Good could stop them, they ripped the glasses from his face.

"H-Hey, give those back!" Good tried to grab them, but the two bullies took turns holding him back and passing the glasses to each other to keep them out of reach. "Please, this isn't nice!"

"We're just playing," one of the bullies said, he didn't know which.

"What, can't you play a game?" the other bully taunted.

Good glanced between them, trying to figure out which one had his glasses and how to get them back, but between his poor vision and the tears stinging his eyes, couldn't tell. He clenched his fists and tried not to cry…

"That's IT!" Bad yelled suddenly, snarling at the two bullies. "I've had enough of you two messing with me! What the heck is wrong with you two?!"

"What the heck?!" the first bully yelped, dropping Good's glasses in shock.

"How did you…? WHAT?" the second bully asked.

Bad didn't answer and quickly snatched up Good's glasses before they had a chance to take them back. "Listen, you two brats! Don't you DARE mess with me or Good ever again, you got that? I'm not going to tolerate any more of either of you picking on us!"

"Oh my gosh," the first bully breathed out, taking a step back. "Oh my gosh. You're crazy. You're some kind of _freak._ "

"Wow, okay man," the second bully winced, backing away. "I am _not_ messing with some freak with two faces."

"Good," Bad growled. "Because if you do, I _will_ be reporting you, and you _will_ get the punishment you deserve."

The two bullies ran off and Good took the chance to put his glasses back on. As he wiped the tears from his eyes, he froze at the sounds of whispers around him and slowly glanced up to see a crowd of students and even some adults staring at him.

_"Bad…"_ he thought, paling and backing against the lockers behind him.

_"Darnit…"_ Bad thought back, glancing around at the others.

_"Stop coming out,"_ Good scolded, taking his place.

_"Sorry. Gosh darn, I…"_

"Danny…?" his last period teacher asked, stepping forward slowly. "When… When you said imaginary friend…?"

"That boy needs some kind of help," another teacher mumbled.

His teacher glanced at them but then gently rested her hand on Good's shoulder, coaxing him away from the crowd. "C'mon, Danny, let me take you to the nurse. You don't look well."

Good just nodded and walked with the teacher. They made it to the nurse's office, and the teacher had him sit down while she explained the situation.

"Danny here had just been tormented by some fellow students," she told the nurse. "He had to yell at them to get them to stop, but it's left him drained and shocked."

"I'll give him some water," the nurse answered, getting a paper cup and going to the sink before handing Good the cup. "Danny, do you think you can get through the rest of the school day?"

_"No,"_ Bad thought, and Good shook his head.

"Well, we'll call your parents and see if they can pick you up early," the nurse decided. "Would you like to stay in here while you wait or until you feel better?"

Good shrugged and carefully sipped the water. His teacher frowned and looked at the nurse.

"Could I talk to you in private?" she asked, glancing to Good as he flinched.

The nurse opened the door to a private room and followed the teacher in.

* * *

Bad Cop trailed off and Benny frowned at him.

"Well?" Benny asked. "What happened next?"

"That's it," Bad Cop shrugged.

"What?!" Benny shot him an incredulous look. "How is that it?"

Good Cop smiled sheepishly and sighed. "Well, the two bullies stopped bothering me after that since Bad Cop scared them off. And I had a few more people making rude comments, and the teachers had trouble adjusting. But by the end of the year everyone was used to both Bad Cop and me being there. I even made some friends again in my sophomore year and after a while everyone knew that there was nothing really wrong with me, especially when I became a policeman like my parents…"

"That's it," Benny repeated. "That's it. All of that, and that's how you end the story."

"Yeah?" Bad Cop asked.

"You know, _Emmet_ has better endings to his stories," Benny answered, crossing his arms and pouting. "And _he_ forgets the punchlines half of the time."

Bad Cop dropped his face into his hand and groaned. "Well, what exactly were _you_ hoping for then?"

Benny opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again, pausing to think. "Gee, I don't know. Some spaceships would have made it cooler!"

"Benny," Bad Cop said in a flat tone. "There were _no_ spaceships involved."

"Sheesh, fiiine," Benny answered, rolling his eyes. "But, man, it's hard to imagine that happening to you at the same time I was in the space program."

"But at least you know about me now, right?" Good Cop asked. "Bad Cop wanted to tell you, and that's why he invited you to see our parents with us."

"Oh, yeah, of course!" Benny nodded. "Thanks for trusting me enough to tell me, dude! That means a lot."

"Yeah, well…" Bad Cop adjusted his glasses and then stood up. "Let's pack up the leftovers and get back to my parent's home."

Benny laughed and started to help put everything away. "Sure thing, man! If it means I get to see those photos of you in high school sooner…"

"Maybe we should drive around the block a few times first," Good Cop suggested, smiling.

"Nice try, dude, but you're not getting out of it."

Bad Cop groaned. "Alright, but you better not make too many snide comments."

"Spaceman's honor," Benny giggled, raising his hand in promise.


	6. Poetry

"Omigosh, Cops!" Benny laughed. "Your glasses were so cute back then!"

"I helped him pick them out," Ma Cop told him proudly. "And then for school picture day, they let him have two pictures for the yearbook."

Good Cop reached into a box and pulled out the yearbook for his senior year, flipping to the right page and handing it over to Benny.

"Danny 'Bad' Copper and Danny 'Good' Copper," Benny read. "Aww, you look great in these photos now that you're out of your awkward puberty stage."

"Speaking of!" Pa Cop announced, waltzing into the room with a dusty box in his hands. "I found _my_ old high school yearbooks, and I found a certain someone in them." He set the box down and handed a yearbook from it to Bad Cop.

"No way," Benny gasped, standing up. He hovered over Bad Cop's shoulder and watched as he flipped through the pages. "No way! That's me! Benjamin Chu! That's awesome!"

Bad Cop smirked and chuckled. "What are you wearing?"

"I don't even know!" Benny laughed. "Omigosh, that's great. I look ridiculous being so serious like that. I don't even remember going to that school." He flipped the book back to the cover and gasped. "Wait, did we all go to the same high school?

Pa Cop blinked at him. "How bad is your memory, Ben?"

"Pa!" Ma Cop scolded. She smiled apologetically at Benny. "No, I grew up in Ireland. I met Pa there when he was visiting family that still lived in the old country."

Benny grinned and wrapped one arm around Bad Cop and used the opposite hand to flip through the pages of the yearbook. "Is there any more of me in there? Gosh, I don't know if I was in any clubs or something."

"Aviation club," Good Cop pointed out, tapping on the picture of Benny in the photo.

"Man, really? That's so predictable." Benny squinted at the club photo. "I want to find out that I was in something weird like Glee club."

"I was a cheerleader," Pa Cop interjected, stopping them on that picture.

"Pa!" Ma Cop laughed. "You never told me you were a cheerleader!" She hurried over to see the picture as well and laughed again.

They spent the next few days going through old photos, showing Benny around town, and even signing the occasional song, though Benny was quick to decline singing along.

"If you don't want to sing, do you know any poetry?" Ma Cop asked.

Bad Cop shook his head. "Mummy, don't pressure Benny…"

"Actually," Benny interrupted. "I know one poem… I think… I haven't thought about it much in a while so I might get some of the words wrong. And, uh, it's really sappy and kind of embarrassing that I know it..."

"Tell us," Pa Cop urged. "This is your last night here, and I'd like to see what other surprises you have for us before you and Danny go back to the city."

Benny nodded and looked up, trying to remember the words. "Okay, here goes…

" _Up on the moon, the stars never set,_  
 _Their radiance lasting from light-years away._  
 _They glow as you do with the strength of the sun,_  
 _Which brings the Earth life with each passing day,_  
 _Just as you give me life, give me strength and hope_  
 _That each moment to tomorrow will never dismay._  
 _No matter the distance between now and then,_  
 _Whatever happens that on our souls would weigh,_  
 _No nova nor black hole could rid the sun of tomorrow…_ "

He wrinkled his nose and then groaned. "Oh, I always forget the last line! I really need to go through my things sometime and find whatever I wrote it on."

Good Cop leaned forward. "Benny, you wrote that?"

Benny nodded. "Yeah. Sappy, isn't it? I can't remember why I wrote it..." His face brightened for a moment, as if he remembered, but he then looked away, trying to hide it.

"It was beautiful," Ma Cop marveled.

"Would be better with that last line, though," Pa Cop added, flinching as Ma Cop smacked him lightly.

"No, no, he's right," Benny agreed, sighing. "That's really annoying that I can't remember it…"

"Don't stress yourself over it, Benny," Good Cop told him. "It was nice enough for you to recite what you remembered. Does it have a title?"

Benny shook his head. "No, I can't remember that either. Well, maybe it didn't have one. I don't know."

"Well thank you for sharing it," Ma Cop told him. "It's a nice way to end your last night here."

"You're welcome," Benny beamed.

They all bade each other "good night", and the next morning, Bad Cop and Benny drove on their way back to Bricksburg.


End file.
